


One Skewer Too Many

by Octomerls



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Before even the Kingsglaive movie, Before the Events of the Game, Kingsglaive - Freeform, M/M, tags will update as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24897304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Octomerls/pseuds/Octomerls
Summary: Pelna is handed a Niflheim tablet that he deciphers one night with Nyx next to him. Learning about movements of a large MT unit, the two seek out what to do from their Captain, who sends them off with Cor to find out what exactly these MTs are up to. What the find will change the history of Insomnia and the war with Niflheim.
Relationships: Pelna Khara/Nyx Ulric, Titus Drautos | Glauca/Cor Leonis
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	One Skewer Too Many

Pelna stretches his arms over his head, hearing a few creaks and pops until he settles for leaning back in his chair. He’s tired, and looking at his watch, he finds that he’s been sitting in this chair for nearly three hours without a break. He could use another cup of coffee and maybe something to eat. When was the last time he ate? Early this morning before PT? Yeah, that seems about right. Setting the tools aside and the tablet encrypted with Niflheim secrets, Pelna gets up, feeling his stiff knees. He really needed to remember to get up and stretch more when he sat there tinkering around. Maybe some water would be better for him than coffee too. 

The Glaive common room was fairly quiet, given it was already pretty late. He’s sure most of his friends have gone out to eat or drink. If they invited him along, he never heard them. Though his staying after hours to work on things Niflheim related was pretty common practice. After all, everyone knew the more the Kingsglaive, and in turn, Insomnia knew about the tech behind Niflheim, it meant one step closer to bringing this damn war to an end. 

He yawns, heading over to the small kitchen that was installed shortly before he joined up with the Glaives. They usually kept it stocked with water and a few meals in case someone was stuck here on twenty-four-hour duty. Coffee was stockpiled in the cabinets along with filters, sugar, and creamer either liquid or powder if anyone needed. On the counter stood a good number of coffee pots ready to be used when people started stumbling in, in the morning 

Nothing in the fridge there really grabs his attention and as much as he would eat whatever was put in front of him right now, he was also craving something good, nutritious, and most of all not just processed. There were only so many days one could eat instant food before feeling terrible and wanting actual food. 

Grabbing water, he lets the cool air of the fridge wake him a little before he closes the door and drinks from the water bottle. Should he just stay all night and finish running another test? Probably. They really did need to know what Niflheim was planning next. It was just a matter of time before they would be deployed again and the data would be useless. 

No one asked him to work overtime. Hell, he’s sure he won’t get paid for it either, their budget was pretty thin as is. As much as he should care about getting paid for the overtime, knowing that it could keep someone alive was better than the money he probably would spend on food or drinking alone anyway. This was important. He’d probably just see if anyone was still up. Maybe they could bring him some food or something. He did have a few favours to cash in. Pulling out his phone from his back pocket, Pelna sees a few texts and missed phone calls. 

“Opps,” he says, quickly swiping them away. He’ll get to them in a minute. “Let’s see now.” 

  
Crowe was first on his list, but she would make him stop and come hang out like she was prone to do with anyone who was working too hard. Which normally he would appreciate, but Pelna knew he was close. Oh so close to figuring something out. Not to mention three of the missed texts and a phone call were from her.

Libertus would tell him to get it himself and turn up an hour later with a home cooked meal instead, since the best Galahdian food was the stuff Libertus made. The rest, well, they would probably follow the route of having Pelna get it himself. That and he was a little nervous asking someone like Luche, a lieutenant, to bring him food. Nope, that was an awkwardness he did not need. It was one thing to be asked, but to do the asking of a superior officer, yeah no. Pelna liked sleeping at night when he could get it. 

No one wanted to come back to work anyway, even with favours to cash in. Guess there was only one person left. Pressing the name, Pelna puts the phone up to his ear. It rings a few times before he can hear the sounds of the Yamachang’s jukebox playing in the background. 

“What’s up, Pelna? You finally calling us back to tell us that you’re coming?” Nyx asks. Pelna can hear the hopeful tone in Nyx’s voice.

Yes, Nyx was technically higher up on the Glaive food chain, but the two were partners long enough that Pelna feels comfortable enough asking him for a favour. If Nyx actually wanted to do said favour was another thing entirely. 

“Not quite. Sorry. I promise next time for sure. But I’m really on to something here. But hey, Nyx? Can I cash in one of my favours? You don’t have to come right away, but whenever you’re done at Yamachang’s, could you bring some food over?”

All that Pelna can hear is the sound of the music, a song Libertus likes, playing through the speaker of the phone before a sigh. 

“Yeah, alright. I’ll come and bring you something, but man, you work too hard. You need to take it easy sometimes.”

Fear spikes. Maybe he should have just stuck with whatever was in the fridge after all. The last thing he wanted to do was inconvenience Nyx. 

“I know. Promise I’ll cut back on the extra work after I crack this tablet.” Pelna sits back down in a chair. He props one foot on the edge of the desk and leans the chair back precariously. “It’s just, this information could save someone, you know?” 

“I know. Text me what you want, I’ll bring it.” 

There’s no vexation in Nyx’s voice. The fear clawing at Pelna’s insides subsides. Nyx was just concerned. The man worried about people. It made his moniker of hero all the more believable. 

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Pelna feels the tug of a smile on his lips despite himself. 

“Good, you can show me your appreciation when I get there then!” 

Before Pelna could ask what Nyx means, there was a beeping. Signaling Nyx hung up. Sighing, Pelna guesses he’ll just have to ask Nyx about it when he gets here. Whenever that was going to be. 

An hour passed. Pelna’s stomach grumbled, but he just drank a little more water to tide him over. When the hell was Nyx coming? He was starving. 

The Niflheim tablet sat hooked up to several wires that led to a computer and then another tablet beeped. He was running a program, trying to decipher whatever was on it with a program he created. Thanks to a few others who helped him debug it earlier, it was running a lot better. Now all he had to do was wait. Some of the translated portions were already on the Kingsglaive issued tablet, which he now held in his hands. Scrolling through it, he gets up to stretch his legs a little more. He’s too engrossed with the information that the door opening or his name being called fall on deaf ears.

No, his mind was solely set on the number of forces Niflheim deployed and were preparing to deploy, but then there was a curious location with a rather large number of MTs that might be good to look into. Maybe a lab of sorts? Or a supply chain by the looks of it. 

As he thinks, he feels a hand grope his ass leading him to drop the tablet. It clatters to the floor with a resounding crack. Immediately, Pelna grabs the stranger’s arm and tosses him over his shoulder and onto the ground with a grunt. There’s an oof as the wind is knocked out of Nyx fucking Ulric, who attempts to save a bag, no doubt holding the food meant for Pelna. 

“Shit! Nyx, what the fuck?” Pelna shakes his head as he straightens. 

Nyx is lucky he was only thrown onto the ground and not onto a desk or something else. There’s breathless laughter as the bag is held up. 

“If I had known I was getting that kind of greeting I would have at least put your food down first. Some appreciation for bringing you food.” 

Pelna takes the bag, setting it down on the desk where the Niflheim tablet lay. He can tell Nyx must have gone straight from work to Yamachang’s since he’s still in most of his Kingsglaive garb. His poor jacket was lying on the ground, probably poking at Nyx’s back with how he lay. He holds out a hand to help Nyx back on his feet.

“At least I know you can defend yourself even if you’re engrossed in your work, but damn, Pelna that hurt.” Nyx is rubbing part of his lower back after standing. He grabs his jacket, slinging it over his shoulder.

“Sorry,” Pelna says before frowning. “Wait, no I’m not. You grabbed my ass, what did you think was going to happen?”

Nyx breaks into a grin. “I don’t know, but certainly not that. Check if your food is okay. Sorry, it took me so long. Libertus insisted on cooking and took over Yamachang’s grill. That was not a pretty sight to see. Pretty sure Yamachang is going to kick is all out one of these days.” 

“As if, you guys are some of his best customers.” Pelna picks up the tablet he dropped, sighing. “Great. That’s coming out of my paycheck for sure.” 

“Oh, shit. Sorry about that. I’ll help you pay for it. It’s kind of my fault it broke in the first place.” Nyx shuffles closer, looking a little wary now about how close was too close if the small distance between them was anything to go off of. “What were you reading anyway?” 

Pelna tosses the broken tablet onto the table. The thing was useless now, but at least he had enough sense to download the information onto the computer and the tablet. Nyx was lucky. Then again, the bastard was always lucky. 

“Reports and orders from Niflheim. Come on, I’ll show you.” Pelna moves to sit in the computer chair and pulls it up to the computer, the food already forgotten. 

“Not until you shove something in your mouth before I have Lib or Crowe after my ass.” Nyx is already opening the bag he brought and pulling out a few boxes. “It’s just skewers, but you know if Libertus made them they’re pretty good.”

“You mean they’re genuinely Galahdian,” Pelna mutters before taking one of the styrofoam boxes and opens it. 

Sure enough, there were a few skewers in it. But why bring so many boxes? it hits Pelna that Nyx pulls up a chair next to his. He grabs a styrofoam box and starts eating it too. When their eyes meet, Nyx just shrugs. 

“Thought I’d let you eat alone? Think again, Pel.” 

Pelna smiles before digging into the skewer, humming at the taste. They were pretty good, better than the Insomnian version Yamachang likes to serve to suit the Insomnian taste, but Pelna can appreciate those too in their own way. These, well, they were more like home. As best as they could be considering a few ingredients were substituted for what could be found. 

“So, what’s going on with the reports and orders?” Nyx asks after Pelna finishes his second skewer. 

“Oh right,” 

Pelna keeps the current skewer between his lips as he types up a few commands and pulls up what he was looking at on the tablet. He shifts the screen to allow Nyx to see as well. Taking the skewer back into his hand he uses it almost like a pointer. 

“So, here we have past reports, a few that we’ve already come across and others that are a little out of our usual battle zones. That being said, I did find a few reports that were more recent.” 

He urges Nyx to come a little closer, now that Nyx was being serious, Pelna knew he could trust Nyx to be close. Pulling up the next report, he points to the date. 

“See that? That was yesterday’s date. They just shipped out a rather significant amount of MTs to this new location. What I don’t get is why to that location. From our scouting, there’s nothing there.” Pelna leans back and continues to eat his skewer, the cogs already turning in his brain. 

“Sounds like we should go and see for ourselves. This should be enough to get the Captain to let you and I scope it out.” Nyx takes a screenshot, texting away. 

“Are you texting him?” Pelna asks, trying to get a look at his screen. Nyx grins. “You are, aren’t you?” 

“Maybe? I was one of his first trainees, he didn’t know any better. ‘Sides, it works out better this way. He’ll have the paperwork ready for us in the morning.” Nyx hits the send button before shrugging and putting his phone down. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to steal my spot as the hero, Khara.” 

Pelna rolls his eyes and kicks Nyx’s chair a little in protest. “That spot is all yours. Way too flashy if you ask me.”

No, Pelna liked being in his supporting role. Let him sneak off to higher ground and give out tactical advice, or support among the ground any day. As much as he liked charging in with Nyx’s hair-brained antics, there was something about being able to see the whole battlefield and giving people advice to help them win a battle that Pelna preferred. He could still be on the ground with Nyx, but usually, he needed to pay attention to what their hero was doing before he missed a step. 

The phone buzzes, alerting the two as they eat in silence. Nyx checks it before holding it out for Pelna to read. 

Meet me in my office. Now.

Well, certainly not the answer either of them had in mind.

“Do you think he’s there now? Or can we finish eating first?” Pelna asks, hesitating. 

“Totally finish eating first,” Nyx says. He’s grinning, meaning he knows that their captain is probably in the office, though what he’s doing this late at night is beyond Pelna. He guesses even their Captain has to work overtime every once in a while.

\---

Coffee cup in both hands, Nyx opens the door for Pelna to step in once they’re given the gruff ‘come in’ from their Captain. Nyx has his own cup, but Pelna had one for Drautos, figuring that they would all need one. 

The office is minimalist, not strange for someone like Drautos, a private man. There was a shelf behind his desk with a line up of tactical books and a small indoor plant Pelna knows won’t need much maintenance, if it was even real. There were a few plaques on the wall, indicating Drautos’ status, but otherwise, there was not much of a personal touch. In front of the desk are two chairs. Not the most comfortable of chairs, but they would do. 

“The text, where did you get that information?” Drautos asks. His eyes hone in on the coffee to which Pelna holds out to him once they walk up to the desk. 

“Thought you could use this, Captain.” Pelna sits down in one of the chairs across from Drautos’ desk. “Remember that Niflheim tablet Tredd brought back a few days ago?” 

Drautos nods and Nyx takes a seat in the other chair, keeping quiet for the time being. 

“Well, I deciphered what was on it. Not completely but a good amount. It’s still running the program, but I started looking through what had been deciphered and found the report Nyx took a screenshot of,” Pelna says. The hand not holding his coffee on his knee is rubbing his thigh, a nervous tick. 

As much as he knew the information he was providing was useful, there was something terrifying about giving important information to someone like their Captain. If it could be trusted, which Pelna is pretty sure it could be, it meant if anything happened on this mission it was Pelna’s fault. If he told Nyx this fear he knows their resident hero would tell him he’s wrong, but there was no room for error. It meant someone’s life. 

“How long will it take you to decipher the rest?” Drautos messes with his phone as he speaks. From what Pelna can tell, he’s zooming in on the report to probably see a little better. 

“A few more hours at most?” Pelna shrugs. 

The program crashed once in the past with a previous device he tried to use to decipher the coding. At the time, the data had not been transferred to multiple locations like he had now. So, Pelna’s not sure on whether it will crash again or not. He hopes that’s not the case, they need as much as they can get off that tablet. 

“I can send you a digital or print copy if you want sir.” 

Drautos clears his throat, looking up at Pelna. It was clear Pelna was not supposed to see Drautos struggling to read the screenshot. Then again, knowing Nyx, Pelna doubts it was the best screenshot in the first place. Drautos nods and turns the phone screen off before drinking his coffee. 

Pelna pulls out his phone and fiddles with a few programs till he gets into the one place that holds all the documents he could fit into the allotted space. A piece of secured internet for Pelna to work with files from just about anywhere so long as he had access to the internet and a device. He easily sends it to Drautos’s work email. While he’s doing this, Nyx is sitting there oddly quiet and sipping his coffee. When Pelna glances up at him, it’s clear Nyx is thinking about something. If brains were actually made of cogs, he’s sure he would see a bit of steam off Nyx from how hard he was thinking. 

“What’s wrong, Nyx?” Pelna finally asks as he waits for the email to completely send.

“Hmm? Oh nothing, just wondering how the hell Tredd was able to get something like this is all,” Nyx mentions, his brows furrowed. 

Drautos types on the computer to bring up the document Pelna sent. He pauses for a moment before he begins typing again and then grunts, letting them know he would like to know the answer to that question as well. 

“Yeah, I was worried about it being planted too. But he said it was on some official that the Crownsguard ended up taking for interrogations. Since no one on the Crownsguard really wants to tinker with Niflheim tech, they let him keep it and give it to me.” Pelna shrugged. 

“Ah, the Marshal did say something about having a talk with a particular individual from Niflheim,” Drautos mutters. 

Nyx gives Pelna a raised eyebrow at the comment about the Marshal before he grins.

“So it’s safe to assume you and the Marshal, huh Captain?” Nyx’s grin only widens. 

“Shut it, Ulric. We happened to cross each other in the hallway and he’s usually gone by that time.” Drautos leans back in his chair. “If this information is to be trusted, and I assume you sent this believing it is, I want you two to meet up with the Marshal and scout out the area.” 

“The Marshal? Sir, with all due respect, don’t you think it’s better with just Pelna and I?” Nyx asks. He sits a little straighter in the chair. “I think we can handle it just fine.” 

“If you can or not is not the question, Ulric. I’m assigning you both to the Marshal on this since he’ll have information from the Nif that was brought in. Recon mission only. Do I make myself clear?” Drautos sips the coffee they brought as Nyx groans. 

“That’s fine, Captain. When do you want us to report to the Marshal?” Pelna asks, wondering how the hell Nyx got away with talking to the Captain the way he did sometimes. Then he remembers the copious amounts of wall duty Nyx generally had and thanks to the blessed stars he knows how to keep his own mouth shut.

“Get packed for a week or so with rations included. I’ll get in contact with the Marshal and have him meet you in the parking garage within the hour. Best to use one of the civilian vehicles there for this mission rather than something the Crownsguard would have up their sleeve. The faster we get a jump on this the better.” 

The two stand, saluting their Captain. They know by now when they are being dismissed. As they walk out, Nyx huffs. Pelna knows that Nyx and Drautos have their differences sometimes, but what did he have against the Marshal? The man was well known and liked well enough so long as you keep from pissing him off. Maybe Nyx had done just that? Or was it simply because he was Crownsguard? No, Nyx knew the difference in status, but Pelna had never seen Nyx downright hate a Guard just because of their status. So just what was going on in that brain of his?

“Nyx-” 

“It’s nothing personal, Pelna. I just know when we get back the Marshal will take all the credit when it’s obvious without you none of this would be a thing. Knowing that, it irks me that the Captain wants us to play nice.” Nyx scuffs his shoe on the ground, gritting his teeth. “I can’t tell what that man is thinking half the time.” 

“Oh. Is that all?” Pelna chuckles as he slips his hands into his pocket grinning. “You just need to relax. I heard working with the Marshal isn’t too bad. He at least knows how to fight, unlike most of the Crownsguard who use those stupid guns. If you put them on the battlefield with a bunch of daemons watch how easily they would turn tail and run.” 

Nyx scoffs but says nothing more as they head down the hall and into an elevator. Pelna falls into a comfortable silence. Knowing that they would be going together made this a little easier. They could trust one another without having the fear of getting backstabbed or screwed over because of the petty competition between Guard and Glaive. Not that he really feared the Marshal would do the same, if anything the Marshal was the only one who seemed to know what hard work was from the Crownsguard side. 

The elevator took them back to the floor where the Glaive offices were. There weren’t many of course, but it had the entrance to where they needed to go out. The two pass the common area with the fridge and coffee pots, past the office where Pelna had the tablet still set up. 

“Do you think the Captain remembers that this is going to take a little longer to decipher?” Pelna asks, slipping in to check the progress. The program was still running just fine.

“He might assign someone else to look after it? I don’t know, he seemed rather on edge about it all. A little strange if you ask me.” Nyx shrugs. “Maybe we should remind him?”

“Yeah, maybe. If not I’ll have Luche check on it. He’s not so bad with computers.” Pelna shuts off the screen but keeps the computer running. It was better than people think it was off at first glance before they started messing with it. While Lucheterrified him at times with how cold the man could be, he was probably the only one Pelna would want touching his electronics. “Come on, we better book it. It takes us twenty minutes to get to the apartments.” 

“I think I have a way around that.” Nyx pulls out a set of keys. 

Pelna just stares at them before Nyx grabs his hand and pulls him out of the office and along the hallway. They pass through a set of glass double-doors, which click behind them. Nyx motions to a motorcycle parked right outside. It looks suspiciously like one that belonged to the Crownsguard. 

“Nyx, you didn’t.” Pelna shoves his arm, laughing. “No wonder you don’t want to meet up with the Marshal. If he finds out you have this.” 

“That is the least of my worries. Besides, I didn’t steal it. I’m borrowing it, from a lovely Guard who owed me a favour.” Nyx goes over to toss the helmet at Pelna. “Come on, this will make the trip to the apartments faster.” 

Pelna catches the helmet and puts it on, visor still up. “I swear, you never cease to surprise me.” 

“Need to keep you on your toes, Khara,” Nyx says, a smile Pelna is sure that’s only reserved for him on Nyx’s face. 

\---

Forty-five minutes later, Pelna texted Luche about the tablet and the information letting him know to keep an eye on it until it’s finished. After that, Luche could easily give whatever files were found to Drautos. Easy enough transfer and all while Pelna would be gone with Nyx and the Marshal. Speaking of the man, as the two made their way down the Kingsglaive parking garage in their full attire, the Marshal was already sitting against one of the hoods of a civilian car. 

“About time you two showed up.” He straightened up and tossed a set of keys to Nyx. “I heard you like to drive fast?” 

Nyx fumbles to catch the keys but does catch them in the end. “Who told you that?” 

“The Guard you’re borrowing the motorcycle from,” the Marshal said. A hand resting on his katana. He looks at Pelna directly. “Debrief me as we go and I’ll tell you what I know.” 

Pelna finds it hard to hide a grin, so he clears his throat. “Nice to be working with you, Marshal.” 

The Marshal nods his head but otherwise gets into the passenger side of the car he was leaning against, a beige two-door sedan. At least it would blend in with the sands of Leide. Pelna can feel a pair of eyes on him, he catches Nyx’s gaze and smiles. Taking the bags, Pelna opens the trunk and puts their bags in it. Once they didn’t need the car anymore, they could easily just carry the bags-- just like a camping trip. 

“Don’t drive too crazy,” Pelna warns as he sees Nyx climb into the driver’s seat. There’s no malice behind his words, just a teasing lilt. “Some of us want to keep our late dinner down.”

“Wouldn’t want all those skewers to go waste.” Nyx grins. 

Pelna slips into the backseat pulling out his phone. One good thing about being in the Kingsglaive, the internet was paid for on their phones because of their jobs. He pulls up the document and starts debriefing the Marshal as Nyx drives them out of the garage and onto the streets of Insomnia. It was going to be a long night for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as just a drabble from a one word prompt from [MeinNameIsJette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeinNameIstJette/pseuds/MeinNameIstJette) on a server we're on together. After drawing for the prompt, I couldn't get it out of my head and now you have this project before you. It's still being written, but I wanted to post the very first chapter since it was for a prompt, the rest will come out slowly. Both[ MeinNameisJette ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeinNameIstJette/pseuds/MeinNameIstJette) and [Caillieach](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caillieach/pseuds/Caillieach) have both been a tremendous help with this! Thank you guys for looking it over and helping me plot this monster of a fic with what I have so far ;w; For those reading this, you should definitely check out their wonderful work as well!


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